Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Synthetic hydrogels provide an effective scaffold for brain tissue growth

Synthetic hydrogels were shown to provide an effective scaffold for neuronal tissue growth in areas of brain damage, providing a possible approach for brain tissue reconstruction.

24 Feb 2023

Scientists discover two ways to preserve diseased upper motor neurons in ALS

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered two ways to preserve diseased upper motor neurons that would normally be destroyed in ALS, based on a study in mice. Upper motor neurons initiate movement, and they degenerate in ALS.

24 Feb 2023

Deep-learning approach to achieve faster and high-resolution photoacoustic computed tomography

It takes a few moments for the sound of thunder to reach our ears after a flash of lightning. This phenomenon is due to the photoacoustic (PA) effect where materials near the lightning instantly expand as the optical energy of the lightning is absorbed and converted into thermal energy.

24 Feb 2023

Study provides new insight into the brain circuits involved in opioid addiction

The ongoing opioid epidemic continues to take a heavy toll on American communities, with more than 80,000 opioid-related deaths reported in 2021, according to the National Institutes of Health.

23 Feb 2023

Study identifies genetic variants linked to mathematical abilities in children

A new study published in Genes, Brain and Behavior has identified several genetic variants that may be linked with mathematical abilities in children.

23 Feb 2023

Mount Sinai researchers illuminate the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease

Mount Sinai researchers have published a study in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association that sheds new light on the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

23 Feb 2023

Adults struggling with chronic constipation benefit from a vibrating capsule

A vibrating capsule designed to stir the colon to action appears to double the ability for adults struggling with debilitating chronic constipation to defecate more normally and without drugs, researchers report.

22 Feb 2023

ApoE4 from neurons plays a critical role in Alzheimer's disease

Of all the known genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the strongest is a gene for the protein called ApoE4.

22 Feb 2023

Realistic model explores new treatments for brain tumors

Until now, the use of models to study the barrier that differentiates the circulatory and nervous systems has been either limited or extremely complex. ETH Zurich researchers have created a more accurate model that can also be used to effectively investigate new treatments for brain tumors.

21 Feb 2023

Accelerating the structure-guided discovery of chemogenetic tools

In order to more fully understand how diseases arise in the brain, scientists must unravel the intricate way neurons relay messages (either chemical or electrical) along a complex web of nerve cells. One way is by using a tool called DREADDs, which stands for Designer Receptors Activated by Designer Drugs.

21 Feb 2023

Location is the key for psychedelic drugs to work

Location, location, location is the key for psychedelic drugs that could treat mental illness by rapidly rebuilding connections between nerve cells.

17 Feb 2023

"Poisoned" form of a protein could set off events that encourage cancer growth

Scientists at Scripps Research, with collaborators in Japan, have discovered how a "poisoned" form of a protein could set off a cascade of events that encourage the growth of some cancers.

17 Feb 2023

DZNE scientists discover major role of centrosome in neuronal migration

Researchers from the DZNE have solved an important puzzle in neurobiology: the wiring and the movement of nerve cells are interwoven, but separately controlled.

16 Feb 2023

Scientists correct limb length in mouse model of autosomal dominant Robinow Syndrome

Robinow Syndrome is the best known of a set of genetic disorders that affect the growth and development of the skeletal system.

16 Feb 2023

Inventia Life Science collaborates with MSD to develop 3D advanced cell models for neurodegenerative disease drug discovery

Inventia Life Science, a world leader in advanced cell models for biomedical research and drug discovery, today announced a collaboration with MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA) using Inventia’s RASTRUM™ 3D cell culture platform.

From Inventia Life Science 16 Feb 2023

New center at UCLA focuses on the microbiome’s role in disease prevention

Among the most promising areas of scientific inquiry is the study of the human microbiome and its effect on health. To fuel more rapid progress in this field, Andrea and Donald Goodman and Renee and Meyer Luskin have made a $20 million gift to establish the UCLA Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center.

16 Feb 2023

Novel mechanism of DNA repair occurring in neurons uncovered

"Use it or lose it" goes the adage, applied liberally to everything from our muscles to our minds, especially as we age.

16 Feb 2023

How the immune response in the brain aggravates epilepsy

Biologists at the University of Iowa have conclusively connected epilepsy with the brain’s immune system.

15 Feb 2023

Tackling child undernutrition by targeting the gut microbiome

According to research conducted by the Queen Mary University of London, nutritional interventions used to combat child undernutrition in low and middle-income countries should focus on gut microbiome development instead of just human nutritional needs in an attempt to improve child growth and development more efficaciously.

15 Feb 2023

IGSF3-mediated potassium dysregulation drives glioma-related epilepsy

Glioma is one of the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumors. A common feature of glioma is the presence of localized, intermittent seizures referred to as glioma-related epilepsy, which is known to promote tumor growth. However, the mechanism involved at the molecular level is still not clear.

15 Feb 2023